THE KABBALAH OF TIME:
Kahane and Wainer explain that the calendar is the master key to unlock the hidden rationale behind the formal structure of ancient sacred texts, as well as to understand basic mystical concepts. When comprehended within the context of the Jewish calendar, these works reveal the spiritual energy of each week, serving as a practical guide for self-analysis and development.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Week 10 (Book 3): Noah and Seeking Comfort, Compassion

SONG OF THE SEA:

I will overtake,
I will share the booty; my desire will be filled from them; I will draw my
sword, my hand will impoverish them.

HAFTARAH:

When they chose
new gods,

then there was
war in the cities; was there seen a shield or a spear

Talmud Sotah: Daf
10 – The need for proper upbringing.

GENERATIONS FROM
ADAM TO THE LAST KING OF JUDAH: Noah

JOURNEYS IN THE
DESERT: They journeyed from Dophkah and camped in Alush.

On Week Ten, now firmly within the month of Kislev,
the verses of the Song of the Sea also now focus completely on the enemy’s
persecution of the Jews. This again appears to be a reference to the Greeks,
who at first were quite confident in their ability to defeat what appeared to
be a simple and small Jewish rebellion.

The Haftorah’s verses also now clearly focus on
the problem of assimilation, idolatry, and physical persecution, all which were
present during the Greek exile as well.

Daf Yud (Folio 10) of Sotah continues
to be about Samson, Judah and Abshalom. Its general theme is a discussion
of licentiousness and of children having a bad upbringing and going
against their parents. These are all themes related to Chanukah, which
comes from the word chinuch, education.

The 10th generation from Adam is Noah. Noah lived in
a society that had become completely corrupted. This is similar to the
corruption faced by the Jews in the times of the Greeks. (Pirkei
Avot explains that G-d, out of his infinite mercy and patience, waited ten
generations before bringing the Flood).

In the tenth week, the Jews journey from Dophkah and
camp in Alush. Alush means power. The danger of power is that it can easily
corrupt. [1] The journey for this week is to take
the amorphous feeling of knocking, and have the power to be able to apply it in
a positive, powerful way in our daily life.

An important lesson we learn from Noah in our
approach to prayer and Divine service is the importance of asking for mercy,
comfort. In many ways, that is the very essence of prayer. Noah’s name
comes from the verb Lenachem, which means to comfort. This is
related to the Bat in Week 10 of Book 1, who sings: “Comfort (Nachamu),
comfort my people, says Hashem your G-d.” It is also related to the words of
Rabbi Shimon, also in Week 10 of Book 1:

Be meticulous with the
reading of the Shemah and with prayer. When you pray, do not make
your prayers routine, but [an entreaty of] mercy and a supplication before the
Almighty, as is stated ``For He is benevolent and merciful, slow to anger and
abundant in loving kindness, and relenting of the evil decree'' (Joel 2:13).
And do not be wicked in your own eyes.

Imagine the kind of comfort Noah must have sought,
after seeing the entire world destroyed.

Rebbe Yisrael Taub and his son, Shaul Yedidya Elazer Taub, the First and Second Rebbes of Modzitz

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The date also marks the yahrzeit of emmissaries Gavriel Noach and Rivky Holzberg, who died "Al Kidush Hashem" (sanctifying G-d's Holy Name), as well as the Rebbe's miraculous recovery from a massive heart attack.

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Burial Place of the Mitteler Rebbe, Rabbi Dovber of Lubavitch

His yahrzeit (and birthday) is on Tuesday, the 9th of Kislev. The following day, the 10th of Kislev, is celebrated as the day of his personal redemption.